Speak to the Devil

Popular fantasy writer Duncan (Children of Chaos) takes readers to an alternate 15th-century Europe where knighthood is on the wane, and the magic of Speakers is secretly courted by the same political and religious powers who condemn it as Satanism. The noble but penniless Magnus family of Jorgary has “a long and painful history of producing Speakers.” That’s why Cardinal Zdenek, the power behind Jorgary’s throne, sends brothers Anton and Wulfgang Magnus to take control of strategic Castle Gallant and defend the northern border against Duke Wartislaw. A love triangle among the daughter of the castle’s dead lord and the Magnus brothers soon mixes explosively with politics and war in a stimulating adventure grounded by deft characterizations and a vivid historical setting. The Magnus family motto is omnia audere—“I dare any odds!”—and Duncan is primed to follow it with style in this compelling new series. (June) Mass Market